98th Auction
2018/11/10
Lot 55
Gustav Schulze, I. Minuttis Nachfolger Hofuhrmacher, Munich, Case No. 45320, 55 mm, 139 g, circa 1877
A historically interesting, very fine quarter repeating half hunting case pocket watch with full calendar and initials of Ludwig II of Bavaria - with matching 9k rose gold watch chain
Case: 14k rose gold, inlaid radial Roman numerals. Dial: enamel. Movm.: bridge movement, 2 hammers / 2 gongs, gold screw compensation balance.
The finely chased case bears the initials of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, known as an enthusiastic builder of castles. The initials under a crown are made of dark blue enamel.
This timepiece is one of the king’s many pocket watches which he gifted members of his family, his friends and his civil servants with during the time of his reign. The watch is listed in one of the Munich court cash ledgers for 1864-1886.
All in all King Ludwig II bought over 200 pocket watches and nearly 100 long case clocks to give away as presents or to use in one of his castles. Only a few of the pocket watches on record are technically complicated pieces: there are three watches with minute repeaters, five chronometers, a "seconde morte", a chronograph and just one watch with a calendar - indicating that this must be the watch we have here. According to the records it was bought in 1877 for 460 deutschmark by Gustav Schulze, who was maker to the court at the time.
It is assumed that the ebauches for the pocket watches were imported from Switzerland and signed by the court makers in Munich after they had finished them.
Most likely King Ludwig’s court employed seven watch- and clockmakers; Gustav Schulze is first mentioned in 1875. He succeeded Josef Minutti as maker to the court and had a shop at Ledererstraße 4.
Source: Klassik Uhren, "Ludwig II., König von Bayern (1864-1886) und seine Taschenuhren", Peter Frieß, Christian Pfeiffer-Belli, Edition 6/86, Munich 1986, p. 13ff
A historically interesting, very fine quarter repeating half hunting case pocket watch with full calendar and initials of Ludwig II of Bavaria - with matching 9k rose gold watch chain
Case: 14k rose gold, inlaid radial Roman numerals. Dial: enamel. Movm.: bridge movement, 2 hammers / 2 gongs, gold screw compensation balance.
The finely chased case bears the initials of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, known as an enthusiastic builder of castles. The initials under a crown are made of dark blue enamel.
This timepiece is one of the king’s many pocket watches which he gifted members of his family, his friends and his civil servants with during the time of his reign. The watch is listed in one of the Munich court cash ledgers for 1864-1886.
All in all King Ludwig II bought over 200 pocket watches and nearly 100 long case clocks to give away as presents or to use in one of his castles. Only a few of the pocket watches on record are technically complicated pieces: there are three watches with minute repeaters, five chronometers, a "seconde morte", a chronograph and just one watch with a calendar - indicating that this must be the watch we have here. According to the records it was bought in 1877 for 460 deutschmark by Gustav Schulze, who was maker to the court at the time.
It is assumed that the ebauches for the pocket watches were imported from Switzerland and signed by the court makers in Munich after they had finished them.
Most likely King Ludwig’s court employed seven watch- and clockmakers; Gustav Schulze is first mentioned in 1875. He succeeded Josef Minutti as maker to the court and had a shop at Ledererstraße 4.
Source: Klassik Uhren, "Ludwig II., König von Bayern (1864-1886) und seine Taschenuhren", Peter Frieß, Christian Pfeiffer-Belli, Edition 6/86, Munich 1986, p. 13ff
Sold
estimated
16.000—30.000 €
Price realized
21.700 €